Numb
by Dark Gothic Lolita
Summary: A songfic to how Skull feels about everyone. Not in their baby forms, Luce is alive and SkullxFem!Viper Rated T for language. Just a rest from some stories. Skull needs more Love guys! Song from Linkin Park


**_Hey, Dark Gothic Lolita- IN THE FRIKING HOSPITAL!_**

**_So yeah, I've done a skull fanfic now and I feel pretty good with myself! It's a great acomplishment! Yay! I've always felt sorry for him AND Lambo, so I really wanted to write one! I'm not really planning on writing a second chapter, but I will if you want me too! This is my first songfic, so I don't know how it will turn out. I'm pretty lazy to heep doing a little bit of the verse on every little paragraph, so I'm putting the song at the end. Linking Park has always been a personal favourite of mine so I did their best song (to me)_**

**_This is not all my doing you see My good friend Fugutaiten-san has written her own Skull FF so I thought that I should write my own you know. She insipered me! So give a round of applause for Fugutaiten-san!_**

**_I somehow managed to put ViperxSkull, bit it came naturally, not something I was going for!_**

**_As for the hospital business, then it won't stop me from writing! I hope you can bare with me, my other ongoing stories will take a while! I'm sorry everyone!_**

**_I don't own KHR and sorry for the bad spelling and grammer. _**

* * *

><p><strong>Numb<strong>

He hated it so much. The way that they all hit him all the time or threw spiteful words at him, or that fact that they left him out of the business. It was like no one even trusted him anymore. Who knows, they might have never trusted him in the first place. The one that he hated the most was Reborn.

He seemed to treat him like a servant, not a human. There was Collonollo who just used to tease him endlessly as though he was some hopeless gum under his shoe. Lal acted like a spiteful older sister who didn't care about him, but then when she did, it's not like she did a good job about it. Fon was nice and gentle, but he was like that with everyone, so he didn't really count it.

He stayed clear out of Verde's way, not caring if the creep liked him or not. Then the other freak, Viper, he didn't care about either. He tried not to anyway. After their little argument, they stayed clear out of each other's way. The only person who actually cared about his wellbeing was only Luce. She was like the mother that he never had. Always looking out for him, making sure that he wasn't hurt all that stuff. He knew that he couldn't rely on her forever. After all her was nineteen, most people that age would be planning what they want to do with their life.

Skull sighed and rolled over unto his side. Tomorrow he had a mission with Lal, Reborn and Mammon. Out of the big three that he hated and hated him, two of them were coming. The other one was just a freak that didn't even look his way, and he didn't either. This was not going to be his day at all.

_Should I put on my mask tomorrow, or should I show them the real me? _It didn't really matter to what he did, because he was sure that the others wouldn't even care about him. He sighed a shuddery sigh and tried to sleep, hoping that something good might come out of his day.

~x~

"Walk faster, lackey." He did what he was told without question. Lal looked over her shoulder. "Make sure you watch your step here, we don't to carry your heavy self all the way back to the mansion. I don't do maggots. We don't want your blood all over the car too." Skull sighed softly. "Yes, big sis Lal." She frowned. "Don't call me that." Skull nodded.

It seemed like the two weren't really concentration on Skull, otherwise they would have realised that he wasn't doing what he usually did, and that was complain. _I tend to keep it that way too. _There was one that noticed that he was acting strange and that was Viper. She looked at the way he was slouched and knew immediately that the loud mouth that she was used to was not home.

"Alright guys, we have to be careful here. From here on out, this is enemy territory. This is for you kid. I hope you are getting this through your air head because I'm not repeating it. Stay back and don't do anything stupid. If you act like yourself, then I will personally shoot you myself. Get kidnapped by the enemy and I won't care."

Skull looked at the hit man who was spewing his usual words at him. He nodded. "Yes Reborn-Senpai." They all headed into the forest and Viper pulled Skull back. "Huh?" Viper put a finger to her lips, indicating that he should shut up. Ever since he had somehow been able to uncover her gender (without the others knowing) she had kind of felt attracted to him.

"What's wrong with you today?" Skull gave her a lazy shrug. "I don't know. I guess I'm just tired of it all you know." Viper snorted. "You sound suicidal. You're not going to commit one though are you?" Viper had a worried look on her face that was hidden by her hood. Skull let a ghost like smile pass over his lips. "No, I can't. Even with all my mad stunts, I don't seem to get hurt. I can absorb attacks too." Although he couldn't see her face, he knew that she was giving him a 'say what?' Look.

"None of you knew that did you?" Viper looked away. "No, I didn't. Why didn't you say?" Again, Skull shrugged. "No one asked, so I didn't tell. You're the first to know, other than Enma and Adelheid I guess." Skull looked at where Reborn and Lal had gotten. "Let's go. They might probably beat me anyway."

Viper took off her hood and Skull looked bewildered. Her hair was vibrant purple and it was chin length. Her eyes looked lilac mixed with white. To Skull, she looked pretty amazing. "Why did you do that?" Viper shrugged. "You asked me before, so I showed." They started walking and Viper put her hood back on.

"Why don't you fight back?"

Skull gave a bitter laugh. _Good question. Why don't I fight back? _"I guess it's because I'm used to it, you know. My mother used to beat me, my father was never one of my favourites, so it's been like a life cycle that I can't escape. You won't understand." Skull walked ahead and left Viper to her own thoughts.

_But I want to understand you Skull. Just let me in and everything will be okay._ Viper felt bad that she had never spoken one word to him, but was it too late to start now? He probably didn't trust anyone but Luce.

~x~

"Skull you bone head, get down!" Mission: Take down a rivalling family that wanted the acrobaleno plans for themselves. Right now? Firing of guns was going on, flames were being used and with Skull? Skull was being shouted at to get down, or dodge a dumb bullet, or just to go and die.

As they were running across the field, Skull gritted his teeth and tried to think of the good times, like when he does a stunt. No wind rushes through his hair because of the helmet, but he doesn't mind. He quickly opened his eyes, having a bad feeling about something.

He just about dodged a bullet covered with storm and rain flames. It skimmed his arm and he hissed with pain. _Damn, another bruise! Why can't they leave me alone? _He would deal with that one later. Luckily, the attack had been absorbed. Making sure that none of his team mates saw him, he reversed the attack.

"I don't think you would like to do that to the Immortal Skull!" He shot out of his own gun and out came two bullets that were coated with rain, storm and cloud flames. After the two men collapsed to the floor, he looked up to see Viper staring at him. He ignored the look and he could just about make out a figure in the bushes, pointing his gun at…

_Reborn! _As much as he hated the guy, he couldn't let him get hurt. "Reborn, move!" Leon changed and Reborn was then using a different gun. "Shut the fuck up kid before you get yourself killed." _No, you're the one who will get killed! _Skull rolled his eyes at the older man. He was so damn stubborn! The sniper then shifted his finger into position to pull the trigger. There was only one thing that Skull could do.

He ran to Reborn at high speed while moving his way on the field. The sniper hadn't really seen him, so Skull was lucky. The loudest gun shot was heard on the field and everyone stopped. It seemed like that was a sign to show that the fight was over. The enemy thought that they had won until they saw Reborn rise up from the ground unhurt.

"What the hell? I thought we had him!" Reborn looked like he had seen a ghost. His sun kissed tanned Italian skin had turned to a deathly white, almost as white as Luce's clothes. Lal and Viper finished up from where they were, using the distraction as an advantage. Before they knew it, the whole field was covered with dead bodies.

"Reborn are you alright?" Reborn nodded slowly while Lal came running up to him. Viper ran straight past him. "How is Skull? I mean, what even happened?" Viper got down unto her knees and tried to turn him over. There was a large gaping hole in his chest and the wound looked like it won't heal any time soon. Viper bit her lip to refrain herself from crying there.

Skull only let out a little moan and tried to open his eyes. When he did, there were little tears in them, pricking at the side. "Hey, Reborn-Senpai? Are you okay?" Viper almost collapsed at that statement. "I'm fine bone head. What did they shoot you with? I've never seen a gun like this." Lal got down unto her knees and tried to stop as much blood as she could. Skull sighed.

"I don't know-" He winced and coughed up some blood and Viper stopped him. Don't talk, we need to go now!" All three of them lifted Skull up and tried to make it back to their car. "Shit, be careful with him Lal! He's not fucking Colonnello that you can fucking bash about!" Lal felt an eye twitch. "Shut your mouth Reborn! If I remember clearly, Skull was telling you to move! You should have kept your guard up!" Viper just about snapped. Her voice left her usual monotonous tone and changed to an enraged female. "Both of you just shut the fuck up! None of you EVER listen to Skull and now you want to blame each other? I suggest you keep your mouth shut otherwise I'll kill you both here."

They both blinked at Viper. They wanted to finally ask her about her gender, but they thought better about it. They soon shut up after that.

They saw the car in sight. Reborn jumped into the driver seat and Lal got into the passenger seat. Viper tried her best as to keep Skull alive for longer.

_You'll be alright Skull._

~X~

Lal had contacted Luce, the acrobaleno boss and all the rest were waiting for them at the door to the mansion. "Come on, hurry up!" Verde, Fong and Colonnello rushed out to help them carry him. All the men rushed him to the hospital ward. They set him down on the bed to where he was writhing in pain. They all looked frantic at Verde. "All of you will need to go. This will be dangerous."

They all nodded, although they all wanted to stay. "Hey Skull, I'm going to have to take off your bandages and piercings, okay?" If he wasn't in pain, Skull would have protested, but right now, he wasn't feeling good at all. "Just-do-what-you-have-to-do!" He was panting and screeching at the same time.

All of the others waited outside for the operation to be over. At first, they could hear his shouts and protests, which then died down to soft whimpers, but then it lead to silence. A deadly silence. Reborn sat down calmly as though he couldn't care less, but on the inside, he was mad with himself. He knew it was his entire fault. Luce was standing directly outside the door, fidgeting with her hands as though Skull was her own child.

All the others were all over the place. Viper was just floating through all her illusions, as though to make herself feel better, that Skull would be okay. _He has to be okay… He just has too!_

After four hours, Verde appeared at the door. They all wanted to rush in, but he quickly closed it. "No one I allowed to go in but me. The place is under top quality security that not even an illusion could get inside." Viper wanted to attack him, but if it was for Skull, then she would oblige.

Luce nodded slowly. "So how is he?" The dreaded question that no one had wanted to ask had finally been asked. Verde sighed. "It was tough to get that bullet out. It practically snapped his ribcage in two and it pierced right through his left lung." Everyone froze. What kind of fucking bullet was that? Verde continued. "The thing is it wasn't the bullet that did all of that, it was past injuries, but the bullet added to the damage." Past injuries? As far as they were all concerned, he always healed quickly when he did a stunt.

Viper thought back to the conversation. _"I guess it's because I'm used to it, you know. My mother used to beat me, my father was never one of my favourites, so it's been like a life cycle that I can't escape. You won't understand." _Viper shook a little, but regained herself.

"Did he tell you how he got them?" She could feel her voice raising a few octaves higher. Not like she cared anyway. It was finally time that they knew, right? She watched as Verde shook his head. "No, he passed out right after I managed to fix him up. Why is it so important?" Viper shrugged, but felt bad. It was as though she was betraying Skull.

Luce stepped forward with a face full of stress. "What did they look like? I mean, why would it be that bad? I've been to every stunt and they were never bad." Reborn put his arm around Luce as she continued to stare at Verde with desperate eyes. Fong shifted a little. "I'll go and make some tea then." With that, he was gone instantly.

Verde looked at his boss. "He has things like burns, but they look serious. Slashing's are on the upper part of his body and his arms are covered with them, all near his veins and arteries. And on all of his stunts that you've seen, was he always wearing his helmet?" Luce nodded and he frowned.

"Fine. I suggest that you all come to take a look at him." They all followed silently waiting for the horror that was soon going to await them. Fong came back into the room holding a tray of tea, but knew that no one was going to take any, so he set them down on the table. Verde had put a white cloth over Skull's face, as though he was dead.

Viper was furious by seeing that. _He's not fucking dead you idiot! I… Hope not. _Verde slowly removed the sheet and showed them the horror that was living on Skull's body. A million and one gasps were heard throughout the room. Luce almost fainted. "I don't feel so good." Reborn tried to take her out of the room, but she shook her head vigorously. "No Reborn, I have to stay here with him. Something that none of you have done this whole time."

She glared at them all while they all gave her guilty looks, except for Fon, who had done nothing wrong. They all slowly looked at his face and body again. He had ugly scars that were bright red and they looked like something that someone had stuck a knife into him and tried to draw Picasso all over his chest. Where he had put all the bandages for fun, they had been peeled back and in its place where bright purple bruises that were burn marks.

They all took a glance at his face and suddenly wished they hadn't. His so called make-up wasn't make- up at all. Those were swollen marks all over his face from something that they didn't even want to know what was from.

Verde cleared his throat and they all looked at him, their faces deathly white. "As I asked before about his head, there is something you should know. His skull, excuse the pun, has been cracked and chipped at. I will be able to sort it out, but he will not be able to respond for a while." Luce burst out crying and they all tried to comfort her.

Colonnello looked at Verde. "Is it like brain damage or something, _kora?_" They all stared at Verde not wanting him to answer the question. Instead, he sighed and they knew what it meant.

_Skull has brain damage._

The unsaid words hung in the air. "I haven't yet done the important surgery, so he should be waking up within the 5-10 minutes. I will do the surgery sometime during the week, if we don't want it to turn life-threatening."

Skull's eyes fluttered open while they were all talking. He chuckled a little bit at Verde's words and everyone's eyes widened when they looked at him. Luce was out of the chair and straight by his side. "Skull darling are you okay? You gave us quite a scare." _Sure I did. That must be the biggest lie- _He looked up to see everyone looking at him with troubled eyes. Maybe Luce wasn't lying.

"You idiot, why are you laughing? Do you know how serious this is?" Reborn's words hit home, but he could tell that there was a scared voice behind it. He removed the gas mask and crocked up in his lost voice. "I will never die like this. There is a reason for my ability. I am Skull the immortal for a reason you know." Although it sounded big-headed, there was no bragging tone behind it. In fact, it was almost as though he hated the ability.

Viper took the other seat next to Skull's bed. "Why didn't you absorb the attack then?" _What? _That was the word that was going through everyone's mind right now. Skull gave her a shaky shrug of the shoulders. "I was tired. I'm tired of it all, so I wanted to see what it would be like not to absorb the attack and see what it would be like to die.

"But don't worry; when I felt the flames, I knew I wouldn't have been able to do that anyway." Lal turned to look at Skull. She hadn't wanted to look at his face. "Do you know what attribute it was?" Skull looked thoughtful, but they didn't know that because of his swollen face. "I think that I remember seeing a lightning flame, a storm one and I definitely saw a sky flame. Bad combination for me."

He gently shut his eyes. "I'm tired." With that he put the mask back on. Everyone nodded their heads gently and one by one, they walked out of the room. Like a real mother would, Luce laid a kiss on his forehead and walked out shakily. Viper was the only one left and Skull seemed to notice that.

Without opening his eyes, he spoke up. "I'm tired Viper. Just… Just go. Please. I don't want this, I don't _need _this anymore. I could never live up to anyone's standards. I was never meant for anything. How I became an acrobaleno, I will never fucking know!" Tears started spilling down his face as Viper watched him. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out with him. She reached out to pat his hand in sympathy, but he retracted his hand from her reach.

"Don't even bother! I don't fucking need this! None of you ever wanted to know about me from the beginning, so I made myself unknown to you all! You all thought that I was a baby, so I acted like one, crying at every little thing! I only confided in Luce because she could see behind any mask, so I trusted her! None of you ever cared! No one did, not even that old cow and her fucked up husband." Skull's mind reeled back to him mother and father.

His voice quietened and Viper looked on shocked. She removed her hood and took oh her cloak all together. "I'm so sorry Skull. I'm saying this on behalf of everyone else I guess. I just… I- I don't even know what to say. I know that a sorry isn't what you want. Here you are on the verge of life and death and all I can say is sorry. Not really much is it. If I was sorry, I would help you live."

Skull stared at the woman with lilac eyes in front of him. She wasn't acting cold or talking about money. She seemed human, like a normal girl. He blushed a little, but Viper didn't manage to see it. "Skull, I know that this might be a big step for you, but what exactly happened?"

Skull's blush died down immediately. He frowned at it, obviously not wanting to remember it. Viper saw that look and shook her head. "Forget it actually. If you feel uncomfortable, then don't-"

Skull started talking, making her stop. "My parents were already somehow part of the mafia, and they were hit men not afraid of anything. I had two older brothers and an older sister, who were already into that sort of thing. They wanted me to be just like them, you know maybe a sniper or something. I wasn't like that. I was lovely and loved everything. Too loving for the mafia. My parents thought that I might even swing the other way, something that isn't for the mafia at all.

"Luckily, my brothers and sister were really nice to me like a normal family, but my parents couldn't stand it. They sent them to more missions, making sure that I never got to see them again or even hear of them. The next thing I heard, when I was maybe ten, my oldest brother was dead. We attended the funeral, and that was when I saw my other brother and my sister for the first time in like five years or something. By this time, I was already into bikes, seeing as my parents couldn't give a shit about anything I did.

"Then all of a sudden, we were being attacked. Something about files, I'm not too sure. My brother was hurt really badly and my sister was sent into hiding. From then on, my parents were always screaming things like if only it was you that was dead and they would beat me. They would use poison, but they would never start the poison softly. Somehow, my weak little body managed to keep up with the tolerance and started getting used to it. They tried every single poison that a normal person would know and even made their own. That's how desperate they were trying to get rid of me."

Viper wiped the tears that were forming in her eyes while Skull was talking. Skull's voice was cracking a little. "You can cry you know," Viper whispered softly. Skull shook his head. He continued with his tragedy. "They then started burning me. They even started a house fire while I was in there. I inhaled a lot of fumes, but managed to live. They then started cutting me. When people asked me what was going on, they would intervene and say that I started cutting myself at the loss of my siblings. No one would be asked questions.

Using me as target practice was one of their favourite things too." He looked at Viper's face. With her hood off, he could see every emotion flitter through her face. "My parents know how to do these things because they are sadists. They are the famiglia's interrogators, so they knew all of these things. It went on for six months and when they saw that I was still alive, they started going mad. They tried the last thing before I left that house."

Skull shut his eyes and touched his head gingerly. "They got a chisel and put it to my head and then used the mallet to smash my head." Viper gasped and everything went quiet in the room. "How I lived, I would never know. I think part of my memory was lost too. I don't remember anything from that time period. I just about remember my parents and I don't even remember my brother and sister's names. I'm just too tired."

Viper had a feeling that he wasn't talking about the fact that he wanted to sleep. No. He was saying that he's tired of living. "Why do you think that you've been living all of this time?" Skull's eyes snapped open with shock. "I don't really know to be honest with you. I never thought about it. Maybe it was because I was scared of dying, and I somehow managed to live. Right now, I know that there is nothing to live for."

Viper rose with fury in her voice. "You're an idiot! All of those times you could have died, you're saying that there was something to stay for? You're right! You're absolutely right! You are NOT a nobody, you're a someone in your own way and now that I've finally realised how much I LOVE you, you want to die now? I know that I'm not your favourite person in the whole world, but you would give up now?"

Her voice got softer and softer until her lilac eyes were misted over with tears. She broke down into tears and put her head gently onto Skull's chest. "I'm sorry! I so sorry, but that won't make you better will it? I wish I could turn back the time and make it all better! I'm sorry Skull!"

He removed the gasmask from his face and looked down at the little petite form on top of him. He raked his hand through her hair and as she looked up, he smiled. "When you say it like that, I guess I have to live now don't I?" Viper nodded her head. Skull then frowned and Viper's face fell. "What's wrong?" Skull waved a hand. "Will you still feel the same way when I can't even talk or move? After this surgery, you do know that I might either not live, or even if I do, I will basically be in a coma."

Viper looked away from him for a moment and looked at all his fancy gothic earrings. She had always admired them. She turned to face him and gave him a small smile. "Then I just guess that I will have to wait won't I?" Skull looked at her with a blink. They just stared at each other for a while, until Skull burst out into his usual smile. "I would love that."

Viper leant down and captured his lips. Skull responded by snaking an arm around her waist and pulled her down so that she was now on top of him. His other arm then ran through her hair. Viper smiled at the contact and Skull smiled back. When they pulled away, they were staring deeply into each other's eyes. "I've been waiting for that ever since I found out you were a girl."

Viper blushed. "I've been waiting for it too." Upon hearing the movement outside the room, Viper shot up from Skull. All the other acrobaleno came pouring in. With Viper's cloak flung over the chair, they could see that she was a girl. There was no time for that though. Lal stepped forward. "We heard the whole story Skull. We're sorry. We didn't know about it."

Skull shrugged. "So now you people just judge people from just looking at them? You have to know them first before you can say anything. I forgive you anyways." They all nodded at him and Viper squeezed his hand and Skull looked up to smile at her. Colonnello nudged Reborn and they both smirked.

"So _that's _why you're cloak was off _kora!_ You were getting it off with a vulnerable person!" Lal and Luce sniggered a little bit, obviously catching on with the joke. Viper rolled her eyes and Skull looked away. "Grow up you retards. If you happen to tell Varia about this, I will make you all pay money that would be a whole lot more worth than your life."

She grabbed her cloak and before going, she gave Skull a real Hollywood kiss before walking out of the room. Colonnello wolf whistled and Luce ran up to Skull saying, "You've grown up sooo much Skull!" He kind of liked the attention, even if he was a bit too old for it. He had never seen any love from his parents, so he was trying to catch up on it.

Thinking about it now, he was like the little brother that they would have all missed if he had died out there today. It was nice to feel wanted at least.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Numb" Linkin Park<strong>_

_I'm tired of being what you want me to be_

_ Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface_

_ Don't know what you're expecting of me_

_ Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes_

_ (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)_

_ Every step that I take is another mistake to you_

_ (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)_

_[Chorus:]_

_ I've become so numb, I can't feel you there_

_ Become so tired, so much more aware_

_ I'm becoming this, all I want to do_

_ Is be more like me and be less like you_

_Can't you see that you're smothering me,_

_ Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control?_

_ 'Cause everything that you thought I would be_

_ Has fallen apart right in front of you._

_ (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)_

_ Every step that I take is another mistake to you._

_ (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)_

_ And every second I waste is more than I can take._

_[Chorus:]_

_ I've become so numb, I can't feel you there,_

_ Become so tired, so much more aware_

_ I'm becoming this, all I want to do_

_ Is be more like me and be less like you._

_And I know_

_ I may end up failing too._

_ But I know_

_ You were just like me with someone disappointed in you._

_[Chorus:]_

_I've become so numb,_

_ I can't feel you there,_

_ Become so tired, so much more aware._

_ I'm becoming this, all I want to do_

_ Is be more like me and be less like you._

_[Chorus:]_

_I've become so numb,_

_ I can't feel you there._

_ (I'm tired of being what you want me to be)_

_ I've become so numb, I can't feel you there._

_ (I'm tired of being what you want me to be)_

* * *

><p><em>This was a poor attempt at a Skull fic. I don't even know what was going through my head when I wrote this. It was bad right? Well, I've always had a kind of soft spot for Skull, so I did this! I hoped you liked it! This was written while I was in hospital, so I must have been dellusional. No twin to argue with me, isn't this fun?<em>

_Don't forget, plz rate hor hate!_

_Dark Gothic Lolita (Out of commision)_


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